U.S. hopeful Iraq will approve SOFA

WASHINGTON, Nov. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday the Bush administration is hopeful Iraqi lawmakers will approve the status of forces agreement.

At the regular State Department briefing, McCormack said he was reluctant to predict an outcome but "we think it's a good agreement."

The agreement would allow U.S. forces to remain in Iraq beyond the Dec. 31 expiration mandated by the United Nations. The agreement calls for the United States to begin withdrawing forces in June and to finish the process by the end of 2011. Iraq's Cabinet approved the pact Monday and Parliament will vote on it in 10 days.

McCormack said final Iraqi approval would be an "important step."

"You will have had an agreement signed between the United States and a democratic Iraq, a democratic Iraq that is in the heart of the Middle East. And that will change the Middle East forever for the positive," he said.